Galatians 1

Galatians 1:1

NOt of men, neither by man] Or, from men. Not of men: not by the Apostles, as Matthias was made an apostle; nor by the suffrages of any particular Church, as Barnabas and Silas; nor by any man, that is, any mortall man, or any meere man; but by Christ God and man, after his resurrection. This description the Apostle addeth of purpose to maintain his Apostolicall calling, and authoritie, against the slanders of the false Apostles, who gave out that he was not lawfully called to the Apostleship. For there are two sorts of lawfull callings to the Ministery of the word: ordinarie and extraordinarie: the ordinarie being indeed of God; but yet by men following therein the order of God, and such is the calling of the ordinarie Ministers of the word: and other calling there is without humane meanes, of and by God; or the Lord Christ himselfe; and such was the calling of the Prophets in the Old Testament, and the Apostles in the New. This calling is extraordinarie, and ever accompanied with the gifts of infallibilitie, or never erring in doctrine, 2 Peter 1:21. John 16:13. Now that the Apostle Paul had such an extraordiinary calling is clearely proved, and the manner thereof described, Act. 9.

but by Jesus Christ] Christ no doubt is man, but he is God also, and head of the Church, and in this respect exempted out of the ordinary number of men: the Apostles meaning is, that no meere man whosoever was the authour, meanes, or instrument of his calling to be an Apostle; and therefore it is not onely lawful, but altogether divine and equall to that of the rest of the Apostles; which the Apostle urgeth, to stop the mouthes of the false Apostles that vilifed his ministery in comparison of others, to the end that they might introduce the necessitie of the Mosicall ceremonies, which the Apostles made use of among the Jewish novices, but Paul had quite casheried amongst the Gentiles.

Galatians 1:4

Who gave himself for our sinnes] Gave himself to death to expiate our sinnes by his most precious blood.

deliver us from] Gr. take us out.

present evill world] Out of that most corrupt state which is without Christ, John 17:15.

Galatians 1:5

for ever and ever] Gr. for, or to worlds of worlds.

Galatians 1:6

removed] He useth the passive voyce to cast the fault upon the false Apostles, and the Present Tence, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to give them to understand, that it was not already done, but in doing.

from him that called you] Either from God who of his great mercy called you inwardly to the knowledge of his free grace in Christ; or from me who called you outwardly by the preaching of the Gospel to the grace of Christ.

Galatians 1:7

pervert the Gospel of Christ] For there is nothing more contrary to free justification by faith, which is the summe and main scope of the Gospel, then to maintain justification by the Mosaicall rites or the works of the Law.

Galatians 1:8

though we, or an angel from heaven] Or, if we. This is an impossible case, but the Apostle by propounding it, most confidently averreth the cetainty of the curse that shall come upon those that preach any other Gospel. See the like forme, John 8. 55. if I should say I know him not, I shall be a lyer; and 1 Cor. 13. 1, 2, 3.

other Gospel unto you, &c.] Adding of his own invenon any thing unto the substance of the doctrine, any Article of faith, or sacrament; which was the practise of the false apostles, teaching, that we must be justified, not by faith alone, but by Mosaicall rites also, and the works of the law. And it is worthy the observing, that the Apostle saith not, If we or an Angel from heaven preach unto you any Gospel contrary to that which we have preached; but, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, beside that, or other then that we have preached whereby he insinuates, saith Chrysostome and Oecumenius, that it is an accused thing to make any the least addition to the doctrine of the Gospel Revelation 22:19.

then that] Gr. beside that.

Galatians 1:9

then that] Gr beside that.

Galatians 1:10

perswade men, or God] or, make faith to men, or, seeke to endeare our selves to men; or, plead my cause before men. That is, do I perswade you to obey men, or God? or, do I study to please, or seek to approve my self and my ministery to men, or to God? for so the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 sometimes signifieth; as in that proverbiall verse, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

for if I yet pleased men] If I should yet seek to please men, as I did when I was zealous of the traditions of my fathers, and persecuted the Church of God extremely, to gain the more favour of mine own Nation, I should not be a true servant of Christ, but dissemble with God and the world.

Galatians 1:12

revelation of Jesus Christ] Whehter this revelation was when he journied to Damascus and was smitten to the ground, and there shone round about him a light from heaven, and Christ spake unto him, Acts 9:5. as Saint Jerome conceiveth; or when he was rapt up into Paradise, 2 Cornith. 12. 4. as Aquinas imagineth, it cannot be certainly defined; onely this is certain, that Saint Paul had the knowledge of the Gospel by immediate revelation from Christ.

beyond measure, &c.] See Acts 9:1.

Galatians 1:14

above many mine equals in mine own Nation] Gr. equals in years.

traditions of my fathers] Either he meaneth the Pharisaicall traditions, for he was a Pharisee, and the sonne of a Pharisee: Or, he may understand by traditions such ordinances as his fathers received from God himself: but with this erroneous opinion of the Pharisees, that he might be justified before God for those legall observations. This Text seemeth to be parallel to Philippians 3:6. Concerning zeal. persecuting the Church, touching the righteousnesse which is in the law, blamelesse.

Galatians 1:15

separated me from my mothers womb] He speaketh of Gods everlasting predestination, whereby he appointed him to bean Apostle; whereof he maketh three degrees, The everlasting counsell of God, his appointing from his Mothers wombe, and his actuall calling. See Romans 1:1.

Galatians 1:16

I might preach him, &c.] See Ephesians 3:8.

I conferred not with flesh and blood] Or, consulted. This may seem contrary to that which himself saith, Chap. 2. 2. I communicated the Gospel with them at Jerusalem. But the reconciliation is easie; here he denieth that the consulted with flesh and blood, that is, with any man living, namely, whether he were rightly instructed in the Gospel, or whether he ought to preach it; for of this he neither did nor could make question of Christ: but there he affirmeth, that he communicated with the Apostles at Jerusalem, not to learne any thing from them, for that he expresly denies Vers. 6. but to receive a testimony from them of his consent with them in the doctrine he had preached in Arabia and Syria; for he had preached the Gospel before he conferred with them.

Galatians 1:18

I went up] or, I returned.

to see Peter] Gr. Tec. to enquire of Cephas. The Greek word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, signifieth more then to see or visue, namely, as Hesychius explains the word,〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to enquire into, to take speciall notice of, and acquaint himself with Peter and his proceedings.

Galatians 1:19

other of the Apostles saw I none.] Because it might be objected, that indeed he was called of Christ in the way, but afterwards was instructed by the Apostles and others, and so was not of the number of them that were to be credited without exception: Saint Paul answereth, that he began straightway after his calling to preach the Gospel at Damascus, and in Arabia, and was not from that time at Jerusalem, but onely fifteen dayes, where he saw only Peter and James; and after he began to teach in Syria and Cilicia, with the consent and approbation of the Churches of the Jews, who knew him onely by name, so far off was it that he was there instructed by them.

Galatians 1:22

And was] Or, But was.

Galatians 1:24

And they glorified God in me] They glorified Christ who spake in me; or they glorified God for me, they blessed his Name for my conversion; or as the Greek Stholiast, they praised God in me: not this or that Teacher, but God himself, who alone was my Teacher.